Chit Chat Romance Disaster
by Carpathian Rose
Summary: One of these days, Darcy Lewis' mouth is going to get her in trouble. Loki wasn't one for chit chat and he couldn't stand it.,. Loki/Darcy
1. Chapter 1

The infernal chatter seemed to be endless. Tales of boring female oddities, an infernal ruckus that he had no care for. Definitely not one he wanted. No, what he wanted was for the mortal brunette to shut her mouth. He didn't move, but his green eyes flicked down to the brunette where she chatted with his brother and lover.

It was She, not he—Loki—who in that moment deserved the Silencing Thread to be sewn through her lips.

Ye Gods, what was this damned Ipod she spoke of continuously?

Loki's lips would have twisted in a menacing snarl if not for his sewn lips. Menacing, perhaps, but not completely threatening. Well, hearing her constant chatter, perhaps threatening. He'd never heard a female utter so much in a single breath.

What was her name? He couldn't remember.

Was it really fair that he was sentenced to this punishment when he'd willingly given himself over to the Odin-Father? He would have snickered if possible. He had realized the wrong of his ways. Perhaps he shouldn't have taken the lives that he had. Perhaps he shouldn't have tried to destroy an entire race while trying to enslave another. So many "perhaps" and "what ifs" that couldn't be done over.

All he could do was repent.

He would never be fully trusted again, he knew that. He expected that. Trust was something gained. But he would never be the same soft Asgardian that he had been before. He still held a grudge for Thor, though not in a death wish as before.

So he'd offered himself up to their Father in Punishment for his crimes. Everyday for a year he would stand on this pedestal, facing the Gardens, his lips sewn shut and his hands clasped behind his back. Everyday for a year and freed one hour before nightfall and the night was his.

A fitting Punishment, the Odin-Father had said. No one would fully understand the Odin-Father's methods.

He could understand why Thor would bring his mortal to Asgard, but why the chattering imbecile?

His eyes narrowed when—ah, yes, _Darcy—_turned those wayward eyes his way. His hands clenched behind his back. _Do not._ He thought to himself mentally. Hearing her mundane chatter from across the small distance was enough. He couldn't even summon up the magic to do a weak mirage of himself, or a single spell to shut that pretty trap of hers.

He looked up and over the approaching Midgardian, hoping against all hopes that she would walk past him or turn around. He closed his eyes and his senses to everything around him. If anything, he could _ignore_ the chattering Darcy.

"Geez, if we had punishments like that, the crime rate would be a lot less, I bet."

His eyes snapped open, narrowed, staring down at the Midgard female staring up at him.

"So you're the God that nearly took out New York City. Huh." She had to hand it to Thor. He and his mischievous brother looked nothing alike. Well, duh, she thought. Loki was 'adopted'. The people here in this weird but amazing place sure forgave easily. She was surprised that they'd even let Loki live after what he'd done.

Maybe he'd proven he wasn't himself or something.

"That's gotta hurt, dude."

He wasn't familiar with the term 'dude'. Was she insulting him? He felt a moments pride that he had almost indeed wiped out this New York City.

"So you just, uh, stand there with your lips sewn shut all day?" Oh, man! She had a song that was so befitting of his situation!

But her damn Ipod did _not_ work here. _How messed up was that? _Asgard had something against her and her music or something? She knew Jane was having a ball. This was all impossible scientific stuff to Jane. She just happened to have been invited along and HELL YEA, a trip to another world, Darcy was so up for it. After meeting a few God's and things like that, why not throw in an out of this world experience?

"If my Ipod was working, I so have a song that you'd probably like. All dark and crap. Jane said it had something to do with the atmosphere and going through the Bi-Frost. Hellooo, she could have mentioned this before I agreed to go?"

Loki peered over her head. Why weren't Thor and his beloved mortal dragging Darcy off to some statue? And why was she talking to _him?_ From her non-stop chatter to her strange clothing, already he knew he didn't like her.

"Oh, yea, kinda stupid of me to like, ask you a question. Not like you can answer. Oh...oops, don't take offense to that because I'm totally not trying to offend you or anything." She tugged her scarf to the side. Loki, the God of Mischief, standing so regal before her. "I don't see how you could just like, stand there and let them do that to you...gotta be painful."

He almost chortled. If he'd had to stand there while they actually pushed the needle through, he wasn't so sure he would have been up for the punishment. No, the thread was weaved through by magic and quickly. It hurt, but not for overly long.

"Did it hurt?"

Really, was the chit dense? Of course it hurt.

"Can you even hear me, or is that part of the punishment?" Darcy couldn't help herself. This was just so unreal! Not to mention she couldn't stand to be around Thor and Jane much longer. All the lovey dovey crap was way out of her league.

Loki rolled his eyes, staring ahead and didn't even acknowledge her. If only the punishment were so just!

"Ah! You can hear me!" She'd so caught the eye movement.

Loki ignored her, waiting patiently for that certain hour when he would be free. Yes, he could hear her. Unfortunately.

"When I asked Jane if Thor had a brother, I so didn't mean a psychotic one that liked to take over other worlds, though it's good to know you're over that now." Too bad Thor didn't have _another_ brother. Darcy would have so loved to get her hands on some Thor likeness.

"You're the only other person out here, you know?" She pointed over her shoulder at Thor and Jane. "He's over there spouting poetry and doing his He-Man thing and she's over there falling for it..." Darcy trailed off when Loki's arms moved suddenly, his hands coming to rest at his sides. The black thread at his lips pulled tight over his lips and she saw a visible grimace before it literally vanished, leaving his lips unmarred.

"So cool—"

Loki's hand covered her mouth. "Cease your endless chatter, woman." He muttered before jumping down from the pedestal and disappearing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"That wasn't very nice. It was kind of rude, actually." Darcy said. Loki was lucky she hadn't tased him. As if that would work on a God. Thor hadn't exactly been a God when she'd tased him.

She was here again? Why? Loki refused to acknowledge her, staring ahead as he stood there. He took note of the time and knew night was too far away. At least, too far away for him. With this bickering female, it was by far too far away. Nice? He'd made no intention of being 'nice'. Why did she think otherwise? His arms tensed behind his back when she moved to sit down by his feet on the pedestal.

"Thor is off showing his lady love the vast lands of Asgard and beyond and I so didn't want to be in on their love fest. I did get a chance to see that floating...castle? Now that was cool." She whipped out her Ipod; she'd been idly toying with it ever since they'd arrived. Who was too say if she didn't fiddle with it enough it wouldn't work? With all these Gods around you'd think some of that energy would be put to good use.

"...gold here, gold there, gold everywhere." Her words droned in on his ears, but he didn't know what she was talking about. "People would have a field day with this place, especially all those gold diggers. But hey, you don't have to dig here." She perked up a little bit. "Ah, you see what I did there? Good one, Darcy."

He rolled his eyes. _Why was she here? _She was an irritating chit.

"You'd think that with all these God's together, something would power up this thing with a signal. Or at least keep the battery going." She finally thought out loud before putting the Ipod away. She needed something to touch, something to fiddle with—it was just a coping mechanism that came natural to her for no apparent reason. She tugged on one end of her scarf. "I met your Dad and I so get y'alls Daddy issues. Dude freaks me out. Huh, guess that's where Thor got it from. He totally freaked me out the first time I met him."

Loki almost said, '_He's not my Father.'_ but remembered he couldn't speak past the thread.

"But hey, daddy issues, you gotta deal with them. What do I call him anyway? I was just like, ugh, yea and all that, but I didn't exactly call him anything. I've heard 'Odin-Father' but that's just so long, ya know? 'Odin'? Mr. Odin? God? No, not God. That just isn't right."

He could imagine rendering her mute with a spell. Or perhaps make her think she was choking. Perhaps if he cut out her tongue...but no, that would undo everything he'd accomplished so far with the Odin-Father. Humans were humans...but he was still a God. A God that domineered over humans. More powerful.

Yes, this Darcy as a mute would would be most pleasurable.

He glanced down when he felt the hem of his outer jacket being lifted. Darcy slid her fingers over the material. "While this isn't like, fashionable or anything, I like it. Green, hellooo-o. I'd so wear something like this. Is it leather?"

_'Release me.'_

She was so startled to hear those words, his voice, that her head jerked up. "Whoa! I thought you couldn't talk." Her gaze dropped to his lips, as if expecting to find them thread-proof but low and behold, his lips were still sewn shut.

_'Release me.' _The words came in his haughty voice again, but his lips didn't move. But the words were there, very clear and very, very in her mind.

"Are you..."

_'Are you deaf, girl?' _

There went the idea that she was going crazy. Because he'd definitely spoken in her _mind._ It was so cool it was freaky. Now why wouldn't she have thought of that? He was a Trickster God, or so she'd read. "Are you playing me?"

Loki did not understand the meaning of this 'playing her'. All that he knew was that she was not heeding him. Was she not paying attention? If he could have frowned, he would have. The only emotion he could show was his eyes. _'Remove. Your. Hand. Release me.' _

So he wasn't playing her. "Alright, alright, so you don't like being touched. Geez." She removed her hand but didn't get up. That was so, so cool. She stared up at him for a few moments and when he didn't reply, she spoke again. "So you didn't hear that? Guess it doesn't work like that."

His brows furrowed.

So the telepathic thing was a one way thing. Bummer.

He was ignoring her again, she saw. Just staring ahead. She didn't get how he could stand so still. She couldn't do that for even three minutes. She went back to playing with her scarf. "Those multi-colored flowers over there—" She said, motioning. "—are pretty cool. You know what they're called?"

Silence.

"What about those?"

Silence.

"I saw some green ones on the way over here." He liked green, she was sure of that.

Silence.

His head snaked down when he felt a sharp tug on the hem again. _'You are a most irritating female.' _He snapped out.

"Been there. Done that. Heard it plenty of times." She was counting that one as a compliment from the God of Mischief.

_'Your voice irritates me.'_

"Compared to the never ending silence here, I'd think you wanted a change of scenery."

_'I've not had a moments silence since you arrived.'_

He wasn't looking at her, but he was talking. This telepathic stuff was talking, right? This was just too cool! The hem slipped out of her grasp when he shifted, no doubt, purposefully. So he didn't like to be touched, eh? She'd have to remember that.

Score, Darcy!

"Trust me when I say it's better than the poetry that Thor quotes to Jane. Now that could use some trickery, because it's just so lame." She felt his eyes on her at that and when she looked up, bingo, he was staring down at her. "What?"

Silence.

She poked his leg and felt him stiffen. "Yo. I'm good at this. I need some human, ah, God contact. Talk."

She was met with silence. Man, she wished she could tase a little bit of talk out of him. She almost laughed. That'd be kinda funny. She poked his leg again and then gave a sharp tug on his pants leg—leather? She was right about earlier, because he responded, or was it because she was human? There was a sense of accomplishment knowing that she was egging the God of Mischief on.

Only Darcy would do that, she thought.

_'Cease your foolishness.' _

"I may talk a lot but trust me when I say I'm not foolish. Geez, maybe you need manners."

His eyebrow lifted at that. _'You do realize that I could render you mute?'_

"Really?" Darcy said. "You can do that?" She tilted her head to the side. "Wait a minute, are you playing me again? If you could do that, you'd already have done it. Admit it, dude."

Oh, the foolish human. Did she not know? He almost snickered. She was an annoying, if not amusing chit. _'You know nothing.'_

"Hey, I'm pretty smart."

Dense. He looked up to the sky, his internal clock working. The time couldn't come fast enough. He felt her studying the length of his overcoat again but this time, he ignored her.

She noticed. "I don't think this is leather." He didn't snatch it away this time. She meant what she said, this _jacket _was beyond cool. She so wanted one. But maybe a little smaller. Well, maybe a lot smaller. After a few minutes of silence from him and ignorance of her "chatter" as he'd referred to it, he finally moved. He didn't move briskly away. He took one step down from the pedestal and then her hands were empty. His hands moved and then he was turning, his lips bare. He hunched down so that they were level, face to face.

This time when he spoke, his words were clear and vocally spoken. "Do not assume to know what I can and cannot do, _Darcy." _

She had absolutely no clue what he meant until she opened her mouth to make a retort. Her throat worked, but her vocal cords didn't. There was nothing but silence when her lips moved. His lips curved into a devilish, mocking grin. He ran a finger down her cheek. "Never have I heard such a beautiful sound as I have now." He said mockingly.

It wasn't until after he disappeared that she was able to speak with a sudden, "_HEY!"_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_'Darcy.'_

She hadn't come last night. As Loki stepped onto the pedestal, he felt the painful glide of magic weave its way through flesh and blood and then the tight, pulling sensation as thread pulled taunt. He turned to face the gardens he had become so familiar with. So...the little Darcy had not come last night, he thought with a snicker.

Perhaps she was more intelligent than he'd taken her for. He'd frightened her and it was a lesson well learned. One did not play games with a Trickster God.

He held his head high, his hands clasped behind his back. Silence surrounded him, a sound he had thought would become impossible with Darcy's presence in Asgard.

It was no easy feat to stand there. He wanted to shift his hands and perform. It was a grueling task he set to himself daily. Not because of his punishment, but because of twisted sense of wanting to prove his _dear_ brother, he thought with a sneer, and Odin wrong. He could take this punishment; he could have taken far more.

But perhaps Odin knew him more than anyone else. Why this punishment? He knew his weaknesses.

The silence wore on and he waited as the sky waned. The mental image of his lips curving filled his mind. _'Darcy.'_ He said her name again—because she had chose the wrong God to make her presence known to. Perhaps it was because she'd shown her fear of him, perhaps her anger. That would have goaded him on even more.

He could hear the sounds far off, of others talking and going about their day. After having endured the silence for so long a time, to have it abruptly challenged by a mortal with far too many thoughts and a wayward tongue, he was in no way capable of allowing it to remain otherwise. He needed the contact and he needed the feel of dominance—the feeling of besting the mortal, of frightening her as only a God could do.

It left him feeling highly...amused.

She was far too amusing a mortal.

The silencing thread was his punishment, not his adversary of any mortal.

_'Have I frightened you, little girl?' _Loki taunted, finding that link that he'd made to her mind. He received no response but he knew no forth-coming one would be. But he knew where ever she was in Asgard, she had heard him. He could imagine her shocked stance when she heard his voice whispering in her sub-consciousness. He didn't have to be there to be in her mind.

'_I warned you, did I not?' _He murmured. '_You are very enduring for a mortal. If you were a Goddess, you would have been a very enduring one, I believe._' He breathed her name out again. _'...Do you realize how beautiful you were, how beautiful you are? Such pale skin, hair as dark as a ravens wing...' _He trailed off, letting the empty words hang in the air between them. '_...when you cannot speak. You are the most beautiful in all of Asgard.' _

He could imagine her fuming at that, that he had indeed rendered her mute. He'd taken away the one thing she had freedom over and made it into nothing. He chuckled deep in his throat, the first vocal sound he'd made that day. She had no idea...he need not be in her presence to punish her. All he needed was the silencing thread to be removed and when it was...

_'What will you do, my little Darcy?' _

He was taunting her and it was something he found very pleasing. It was something silent and devious between the two of them, something that only they know. How odd that it _pleased _him.

'_Will you tell the Odin Father that you are going crazy? That you hear his sons voice when he cannot speak? Will you tell the mighty Thor that his little brother has rendered you incapable of speech?' _He tsked in her mind. _'Even I know better, my Darcy, and I have just met you. If you had a wish for a companion to communicate with on Asgard, you came to the wrong person.' _

His head lifted when he heard the sound of footsteps outside the corridor. He ignored them until they echoed and then the connecting door opened and Darcy stood there, the look on her face exasperated, her cheeks flushed. "Stop it!"

She was staring at him in disbelief and his eyes filled with pure malice, heat and amusement. The poor mortal, he noticed, was none to happy with their silent conversation. She lifted her arm and something hit his shoulder and bounced off, rolling to the ground.

_'It is your presence I acquire, not the sound of your voice.'_

Mocking merriment filled his green eyes when his eyes met hers. '_Has my little Sigyn ran out of endurance?" _He whispered mockingly into her mind. He watched as her eyes widened at that. Perhaps his warning, perhaps his last word, perhaps the little pet name he'd just given her? She was no Goddess, but she held the amount of endurance that not even others could hold against him. She'd willingly brought herself back here, even if to throw something in anger.

He watched, an eyebrow lifting at her awkward silence. What had produced this? He stared at her, seeing the look of dismay and confusion cross her features—absolutely wonderful. He was enjoying this far too much and perhaps it was because Darcy was gullible. Far too easy. The door slammed, leaving him alone in the garden and he laughed, the sound vibrating in his chest. 

He glanced down and his laughter echoed in her mind when he saw the _pastry _that she'd thrown at him.

((...And here we go. :) I hope you all are enjoying this. Reviews are positively lovely!))


	4. Chapter 4

(( Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. If I haven't mentioned it already, this is my first Loki and Darcy pairing. It's crazy and doesn't make sense, but I see some sick, twisted romance between them that has potential. It's hard to find some good form of fiction between the two. So I'm looking. But I highly recommend 'latessitrice' fanfic, "Smoke & Mirrors". It's freaking AWESOME!

I'm not going into much detail, because I don't want to ruin any details of the story, but according to Legend, you do know Loki was married to the Goddess Sigyn, right? ))

Chapter Four

What a waste of a perfectly good pastry and it was all _his_ fault. Darcy laid the blame entirely on him. Darcy loved food. She didn't like it, she _loved it. _For someone to make her throw it, well, that was saying something. It was all his fault for his stupid taunts and mocking laughter. She had known he was pushing her, trying to force her into compliance and embarrass her. She'd tried ignoring him.

Really, she had.

But it was a little hard to ignore a very real voice that was talking to you in your head. It would have been different if she had known she was imagining it, but Loki was real and he was doing a damned real job of doing that telepathic thing.

She could get over the loss of the pastry, though, because Asgard didn't have dinner. They had a damn feast. Darcy was all about chocolate, pop-tarts, ice cream and coffee. Three of those things Asgard didn't have. They were very abundant in chocolate though...Screw the _feast, _Darcy went straight for the dessert.

_But really, did Loki have to seat himself across from her? _If the table hadn't been separating them, Darcy had the strange suspicion that she would have kicked him. And there went her theory that he didn't eat. Well, she hadn't seen him eat, yet, either. He was nursing a cup of what she was sure was some kind of alcohol.

And he was staring at her. Was she the only one who noticed it? Really?! She tried to stare back, but he didn't even blink. Just stared at her with those fathomless green eyes.

She actually felt bad for his wife. The woman, er, Goddess, had to deal with this crazy God who liked to cause a lot of trouble. Darcy didn't know nowhere near as much on Norse Mythology as Jane, but she'd read up on it with Jane. She vaguely remembered something about Loki being married to a Goddess Siygn.

Oh yea, Darcy thought, she was going to pay him a visit tomorrow afternoon. She was going to talk, talk and talk. She about had their strange time frame down, so she'd be gone before his little "freedom time".

Mess with Darcy Lewis and she was going to talk your head off.

Ugh, he had to stop staring at her! He just sat there, reclining in his chair and stared at her from across the table, idly sipping.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, Darcy." Thor cut into her wayward thoughts.

"Ugh..." Something brushed her throat, the glide of fingertips. There was nothing there but she felt them and her gaze jumped back to where Loki sat so innocently before her. That same touch slid over the pulse at her neck beating so frantically. Loki smiled.

"I was just thinking you guys needed a chocolate fountain." She said the first thing that came to mind, her words running together as she spoke too quickly. She was a nervous wreck and she didn't know why. "...you know, like where the chocolate is melted and—" An invisible hand wrapped around her throat, she _knew _it was a hand. There was nothing, but she knew the feel of fingers and a palm. He was silently taunting her, playing her in front of the entire room.

"Darcy?" Jane prompted.

This was all a game to him. He was the cat and she was the mouse. Darcy did the only thing she could think of. She didn't think. She blurted it out and lifted her glass in an awkward toast. "To your wife, Loki."

That wiped the smug expression off his face, leaving a frown. His eyebrows snapped down as he stared at her. He was still silent; so was the entire room. Even Odin was silent.

And then, "I have no wife."

Now that was just downright mean. She would have been pissed if she'd been married and her man went around saying they _weren't. _"Ah, yea, you do. I know all about you, your wife and your kiddos."

Duh. Everyone who knew anything about Norse Mythology knew Loki of Asgard was married to the Goddess Sigyn.

"I have no wife and certainly no _children._" Loki said again, as if the thought itself was disdainful. He looked toward Thor where he and his mortal sat. "I have more a glorious purpose than to allow myself to become so allotted to any female." His words were more directed at Thor than anyone else then—the mighty God had fallen for a mortal.

"He speaks the truth, Darcy." Thor said.

Her mouth dropped open. He even had Thor in on his little game? No! She looked towards Odin where he sat at the end of the table. "You, ah, Odin-Sir. The Goddess, technically, like, she's your daughter-in-law. It's in all the Legends. Loki and Sigyn—"

Glass shattered and Darcy turned her head. Loki was staring at her with narrowed eyes, the glass in his hand shattered from where he'd held it too tightly.

"There is no such Goddess in these realms or any other." Odin finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Sigyn is but a meaning of endurance here in Asgard." He stared at her with his one eye before that too watchful eye was watching a silent Loki.

She cleared her throat. She'd always hated being the center of attention. And every single person was staring at her. "Ugh, well, Loki—" An invisible vise tightened around her throat, a silent warning, the feel of fingers wrapped around her too delicate human body. She inhaled and felt a palm pressing against her jugular. Oh man, Loki was playing her in front of everyone and no one even knew it.

"Loki?" Odin prodded her to continue. Oh man, how had she gotten his attention so raptly?

"Yes, _Darcy_." Loki said, breaking the silence that had been between _them. _He leaned forward, bracing his hands on the table as he spoke. "Do tell me of this Legend where I find myself Wedded. I am _most_ interested." He didn't sound interested. He sounded snide and was she the only one who heard the disbelief and sarcasm there?

She found her hands toying, her fingers twisting in the frayed ends of her scarf. She really wanted to hit Loki. He couldn't like, kill her or anything, but he was doing a fine job of making her squirm. Well, she corrected herself, he could kill her, but he'd probably suffer a fate worse than death by Odin-Sir over there. And well, dang it, the room was expectantly waiting for her to continue. Odin-Sir over there was staring at her again, too, his expression closed, watching the by-play between her and Loki.

She just hoped she didn't puke all over the table like she'd did in front of her class. Oh, man. She cleared her throat and opened her mouth and then snapped it shut. Loki stared at her in what she was sure was a pretense of patience. He arched an eyebrow at her silence and then leaned back in his chair. "Just as I thought, _Darcy."_ Every time he said her name, he rolled it off his tongue, letting it linger in the air between them.

She didn't like it at all. She seriously didn't like him; she wanted to bug the hell out of him. Payback was a bitch and he was so going to be the bitch.

"You've played us well, _Darcy._" Loki said. A wine goblet appeared in his hand and he lifted it in an refined toast, as if to toast her on her creativity. '_Well done, my little Sigyn. You've played us well, but it would do you well to cease.' _The look the Odin-Father gave him was not one he would consider pleasant, the thought was a bitter one. He would not have that old fool thinking he had such a refining quality as to Wed himself to any Goddess of the realm. He was still Loki, the God of Mischief, the Prince of Lies and he was still burdened with a glorious purpose.

Darcy folded her arms when his voice purred into her mind. Everyone was waiting for her to continue and even looking at her like she was a little crazy when she didn't continue. Loki looked too damned pleased. She glared at him. He didn't even smile back. Darcy almost wished she had his poker face.

Why did everyone find it so hard to believe that Loki was _married? _Well, duh, he was an _asshole. _No one liked an he hadn't met his Goddess yet. She shrugged at the thought. Maybe the real Siygn would get lucky and never meet him, some other God help her if she did!

Her head lifted when Loki's chair scraped back. He stood up and then leaned across the table. He took her hand in his and Darcy tried to snatch it back, but his fingers tightened, refusing her to remove herself. No one seemed to notice that small play between them, either. "Well done, Darcy Lewis." He said in that accented tone of his. "You've amused not only myself, but this entire room with your banter." But he wasn't amused. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

There was nothing romantic in the gesture. She had the impression he was still playing his game. Was he mocking her again? And then he was gone, vanishing before her very eyes. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until she released it.

* * *

Did they even sleep here in Asgard? No one had looked the least bit tired when one by one, or as groups, they had departed. She'd seen some of them heading outside and she'd seen Thor take Jane down a hall that lead only who knew where. They'd been closer, his hand keeping her tight against his side as he whispered in her ear. Jane's quiet blush.

Sex with a God was probably tubular, man.

She was probably going to regret eating all those sweets. They always went to her thighs and ass and while she had a pretty hot ass, she didn't want a _fat_ ass. She faced the mirror backwards and looked over her shoulder. Yea, she still had a fine ass. She was a little short, but she compensated for that. But no more sweets. Gotta keep it under control. She reached behind her and gripped her ass-cheeks in the cargo pants—she refused to wear those Asgardian dresses because they were absolutely hideous. Dresses were for sissies and Darcy preferred her modern day state of clothing.

Staring at her ass, she knew she had to end those sweets _right now. _Man, not fair...

_'WHAT are you doing, little Sigyn?' _Loki's voice purred out in confused amusement and Darcy spun around, startled out of her mind. She screeched when she saw Loki sitting in the armchair across the room, one leg probed on the other as he studied her.

"You can't be in here! Go away! Get out!" This was her personal domain and _he just couldn't be here!_ Darcy was really, really bad at not thinking sometimes and she threw the only thing in her hand. Her Ipod. It went right through his transparent and suddenly flickering form and crashed into the back of the chair, breaking on impact. Horror filled her. Her..her Ipod!

_'I go where I please.' _

"Now listen here, you despicable little monkey..." Darcy bit out. Her baby was smashed to pieces.

_'I am no fury animal.' _

"You act like one." She dropped to the ground and swept the pieces down in front of her own the floor. Oh yea, he was going to pay for this one. Maybe she'd sing him a song in her lovely little voice because she knew she couldn't sing worth a donkeys ass. If he hated her talking, he was going to despise her singing.

"You need a lesson in the Midgard animal anatomy, then."

Her head jerked up and Loki was there again, across the room. She picked up a book and threw it with all her might. Before it could hit his face, he caught the binder in his hand inches from his face. "Are all mortals so violent?" This was no mirage. This _was_ Loki in all his green fashioned glory.

"Ooohhhh." She groaned out and turned back to the probably gazillion pieces of Ipod. Okay, so maybe not that many. And Loki was there, sitting cross legged in front of her. He was staring at the pieces of broken technology. He lifted a thin, transparent shield that _had _been the screen. "_Hey—"_

The room seemed to blur around her and then she was perched on the edge of the bed, her hands in her lap with an irritated Loki looking at her before he was once again staring with curiosity at the broken objects.

Oh, _hell no. _He hadn't really just did that, had he? Just used his super-cool God like speed to put her on the bed while he fiddled with HER Ipod? "Alright, you bas—" Then she couldn't speak, silence coming from her lips _and_ she couldn't move. Her legs wouldn't work. All she could do was sit there.

_Hey! _

Loki gave her another condescending, irritated look before he was spreading out the tiny fragments. Couldn't the mortal see that he was preoccupied? She was most insolent. He'd been very amused at how childish she was when she started throwing objects his way. And he was most intrigued with how the device she so cared for became so undone.

He didn't need to look at her to know she was still there, sitting across the room. He could feel her anger. But she was blessedly silent. "You may speak." He said, tilting as head as he placed two shiny pieces of metal together on the floor. ""What did you say this...box was called?"

She 'may' speak? SHE MAY SPEAK? Her vocal cords worked and she let him it. "Now listen here, mother fuc—" Her tirade ending in silence half way through when Loki lifted his head.

"I did not ask for your insults, no matter how...colorful they are, _Sigyn._" He waved his hand over the intriguing, twisted pieces and Darcy watched when they slowly began to come together, clicking into place until her Ipod rested above his knees, in one piece.

_Holy shit! _

She couldn't speak, she couldn't get up and she desperately wanted her Ipod back, not to mention to be able to _talk. _He wasn't even looking at her now. She growled and pitched a pillow back and threw it at him. His eyes narrowed in irritation as he twisted his body to the side, allowing the pillow to sail past him. She glared daggers at him and then motioned towards her throat.

His teeth flashed when he grinned. "Better, my little Sigyn?" He murmured.

"_Howdidyou—" _Her words blurred together in excitement, but she was still a little pissed. And then he waved his hand again and the Ipod broke apart. She gasped. Was he mentally retarded? Did he have no idea how important that thing was?!

Midgard was insignificant compared to Asgard with nothing to little in-between. But this small piece could come undone in so many tiny fragments...he'd always been with intellect, when something was broken, he wanted to fix. He waved his fingers and everything clicked into place and the crack over the screen slowly sealed itself.

And then Darcy could feel all of his attention focused on her. Every single bit of the darkness he kept inside. He was on her in an instant, his hands braced on the bed on either side of her thighs. Her breath froze. His words were very precise and filled with venom.

"You play a fine game, little Sigyn. Very enduring, indeed." He spoke heatedly. "What did you think to accomplish by seeking me out? That I would be too easy a fool, easily enamored of your _charms? _You amuse me for someone who is so weak a mortal." He touched her cheek, but his hand didn't move from her side. An invisible touch, then. "I require your presence, little Sigyn, and I will have it. I find you to be very...unique." He chuckled then, but he didn't look happy.

He looked a little crazy.

Darcy gulped.

"You've challenged me where none in all the nine realms have dared. Your insolent mannerisms." Perhaps that was the reason for his sudden infatuation. She hadn't shown fear in his wake when he'd threatened her. Not even after when he'd made that threat into a reality. She was not afraid of the God of Mischief...perhaps that needed to be changed.

"I do not require that you speak, my little _Sigyn_." Something tugged her hair. "You would do well to remember that."

Was he mocking her again? Man, did he really think that she was going to be quiet just because he told her to? As if! She'd talk whenever the hell she wanted! Oh, man. Good God Almighty, he was actually _ordering_ her around, as if she some kind of dog.

"You amuse me." He said the words again, but Darcy sensed something else in the words. An omission. He was admitting it and he didn't look too darned happy about it.

"But you will cease this mockery of marriage." He suddenly whispered. She sucked in a sharp breath when his very real hand circled her throat and she was shoved down onto the bed, his hold keeping her down. He stared down at her nonchalantly. "What do you think to accomplish by this form of blasphemy? What do you think to gain by filling my _Father's _head with such non-sense?" He laughed, the sound almost bitter. "There is no wife that you so spoke of and by Valhalla, no such children. The little devils are of the utmost annoyance. But Sigyn...it is a most becoming name for one such as yourself. Much more befitting than _Darcy Lewis._"

He tilted his head, his fingers an unbreakable vise around her throat. He met her eyes, his expression changing. "Or perhaps you thought to ensnare me in the same trap that my dear brother has so willingly stepped into?"

What? An image of her and Loki popped into her head. No, no, _no! _

"I would submit myself to the utmost torture before joining with a mortal in such a manner." Loki bit out.

Darcy stared up at him incredulously. She hadn't voiced her thought and it _so_ wasn't a thought that she liked. Hell to the no to the _way_ fucking no. There'd be blood, a lot of slapping and biting involved and none in the pleasurable way. It wouldn't be Loki doing it, either, she'd be fighting him tooth and nail.

"Do not think yourself so able."

What the _fuck? _Was he reading her mind?

He smiled.

Darcy swept her closed fist out and caught him on the cheek. It had the desired effect because he released her. He stared down at her in shock. And then he started to laugh.

Darcy quickly rolled away and picked up another pillow. "You know, for a reformed God, you don't sound reformed at all. You sound like the same, twisted, sadistic retarded mother fucker you were before!"

He could not help himself. She'd slapped him—she, a mortal—had slapped him and he was a God, a being of superior power. He laughed again, the sound dying down to a chuckle. "Reformed? Why would you ever think such a thing, my little Sigyn? It is not your _race_ that I need to enslave."

"Then what, huh? You plan on enslaving a pack of rats?"

He frowned. "Why would I enslave such filthy creatures?" He did not answer her question, though. He did not have an answer. Enslave what? He still had a _need_ to rule. Perhaps not an entire race, but the need was still there and in his blood. But the answer still was not there.

Darcy threw the pillow at him and then he vanished. Whoa—he appeared behind her and jerked her back against him, his arm around her throat in what would have been a Class A badass mother fucking wrestling move. "Cease this childish notion of throwing things." His lips neared her ear. "I value you as a means to an end. Perhaps I shall keep you until my punishment is complete."

"Listen here, buddy, I'm nobody's 'means to an end', so let's get that straight. I'll talk you into the next century if you don't get out—"

"Oh, my sweet, sweet Sigyn..._be quiet_." He said in a chuckling murmur. "I asked that you entertain me, not render me deaf with your oddities."

Darcy was quiet when she slammed her elbow into his stomach and he gave that too damned _everything _laugh again. It wasn't funny, dammit. She ducked out from beneath his arm. Oh yea, she'd entertain him alright. He wanted it and he was going to get it. Jane hated it when she talked about _everything_ she'd done that day. She had the feeling Loki would, too. Then she'd—

Loki cursed behind her, startling her with how explosive the sound was. She turned and he was hunched over. He gave a hissing breath, his fingers hovering over his lips as he stumbled back a step. He braced his other hand against the wall, his fingernails leaving groves as he dragged his hand downward along the surface.

"Hey—"

He lifted his head at the sound, as if he'd forgotten she was even there and Darcy gasped at what she saw. His features were twisted in pain and the black thread that was sewn through his lips was dark against his pale skin. Blood oozed around each thread where it pierced his skin.

She hadn't seen that before. She was _sure _the last time she'd seen him like that, there hadn't been any blood. He hadn't looked like he was in mega shit loads of pain, either.

Loki stumbled towards the door way, bodily throwing the chair blocking his way across the room. The pain was impossible, like a thousand needles had pierced his skin and body. The thread was far too tight, the pain and weakness reminding him _he'd waited too long. _

_'Get out of my way, mortal.'_ He bit out in her mind. He faltered on the one step and sank down to one knee, cursing into her mind. Blood dripped from his lips, staining the back of his hand.

"Whoa, hey, like, what's wrong?" Darcy lifted her hands in surrender. Okay, so that was kind of stupid to say, because _pain_ was the obvious answer to that question. So apparently it was Thread Time. Go Loki! Take your punishment! He looked up at her with such bitterness when she asked that question. And he looked like he was seriously in need of a band-aid. A lot of them with all that blood... "Why don't I go get Thor, or your Dad..."

His voice reached her, laced with bitterness and misery. He didn't look like a happy go-getter, either. _'THIS is not my place of punishment. Remove yourself, I need...'_

Images raced through her mind. No, not images, impressions. Loki. The Odin Father. The Silencing Thread. His punishment. A fit place for someone who was never at peace. They were broken pieces of information, but they were there. All he had to do was obey the rules. One place. One time. Otherwise he would suffer dire consequences.

Consequences?

Like, having your lips sewed shut wasn't consequence enough?

Darcy gasped, her hands covering her mouth in shocked horror. Oh, man. Ohmanohmanohman! Oh hot and bothered Gods! No wonder she'd never seen him in pain like this before. He'd always been in the _Garden_, on that weird pedestal. So _that_ was where he _HAD_ to be when the sun rose. No broken deals there, just a bad oopsie if he didn't comply. And a lot of afflicting pain, apparently. She guessed that whatever numbed his pain and ended it quickly didn't end it so quickly when he wasn't there...

_'So you are not so dim-witted after all. Get out of my way!' _

Darcy started at the venom in his voice and jumped to the side. His arm swept out, catching himself against a wooden dresser and sending crystals crashing to the floor. My God, was he _weak?_ She stood there, shocked. Everything that had just taken place, it happened in seconds. His hissed out order, everything. She watched as he did his little vanishing voodoo trick—which didn't work the first time—and then he was gone.

Darcy yanked open the door and took off running down the hallway.

Loki reappeared in the Garden. He'd never felt such pain. It was a reoccurring throbbing as the Thread tightened, pulsated and then released. And then it started anew, as if reminding him where his punishment should lie. Why now, of all times, had he forgotten something so vital? His body, starting at his lips and down to his toes was a weak, throbbing mass of flesh. His lips felt as if thin razors were cutting.

He sank to his hands and knees, his cloak dragging the ground behind him. _Get up_. He spat the words out to himself and braced one hand on the fountain at his side. He was no weak, pathetic mewling quim. He forced himself up onto one knee. The pain was intense, the thread tightening so that he felt it throughout his entire body. He actually reached up to rip the offending thread out but his fingers could find no end to the thread to begin.

The pedestal was right there. Right. There.

"Alright, come on. Get up."

His head whipped to the side at the sound of _her_ voice. She slid an arm beneath his and around his back and tried to lift him. _'Remove yourself from my presence.' _He spat the words out, disgusted that she would witness such an act of weakness from him.

"Ugh, no?" She really should, Darcy knew. Just let him simmer in his torture chamber. That'd serve him right. But she was Darcy Lewis and Darcy Lewis was a sucker bonified when it came to helping others. Running down the hall, she had veered for the Garden. He'd be there, right? She'd come to the conclusion that since he was a God, this thread-poof punishment would have been bad, bad, totally bad news.

He hadn't even been able to make it across her bedroom. So how the hell did he plan to make it up that pedestal?

She felt kinda sorry for him.

_'I do not want your pity.'_ He hissed.

She ignored that little mind reading quip and broke out in a sweat. "Come on. Help me, you're heavy." He was getting heavier by the minute, his body slacking. Jesus, Mary and Joseph! What the hell kind of punishment was this? Was Mr. Odin-Sir trying to kill his son or what?

_'Leave me, you little fool.' _

"I think I preferred Sigyn over that. Get your ass up. _You_ might be into pain, but I'm not. I'm not just gonna stand by and watch you in pain." She pulled at his body and what, did he actually move? Something glistened off his forehead; shit, was that sweat?

_'Why would you do something so foolish?' _He hissed out in pain, but the question was sincere, maybe a little confused, too.

"Because. Now get up before I start talking about your kids." That seemed to propel him into motion, as well as silence. Darcy gripped the arm that was suddenly thrown over her shoulder and hefted him up. "God, you're heavy." She muttered, sinking beneath his weight as she struggled to force him closer to the Pedestal.

_'Now you address me properly.' _He bit out through each painful, sluggish step.

If the situation hadn't been so dire, she probably would have had a witty come-back. He'd been so virally strong, mean and somehow kinda coolish badass before all of this...Darcy was starting to think that this was madness. He cursed beside her and Darcy knew he did because the sound echoed in her mind. He was trying to rip the thread from his lips, the grimace and twisted expression on his face showing his agony.

She didn't see how a single thread could produce something like that.

"Dammit, ow—thorns, hello?" Darcy muttered. They were sharing his weight until finally he had one knee on the Pedestal. She leaned forward and pushed him the rest of the way. His shoulders sagged and she heard the resounding sigh that came forth.

He lifted his head, his body still kneeling on the Pedestal. She watched as the sickening color of his skin changed, still pale, but not nearly so deathly looking. When he lifted his head, his frighteningly green eyes met hers, she noticed there was no blood on his lips. There was no pain, no lingering grimace, nothing to show that agony he'd just been in.

He stood slowly, his hands at his sides before he clasped them behind his back. This was the Loki she'd come to know. All bad-assery in his refined glorious purpose stuff. He just stared at her, the look in his eyes unreadable.

He spoke then, his voice filling her mind. _'Leave.'_

Darcy didn't have to be told twice.

Loki watched her leave, watched her until the Garden door closed behind her. Then and only then did he return the Odin-Father's gaze from across the Garden, where he'd watched the scene in silence.


End file.
